Subscribe now. He is self-confident, intelligent, and the theme of fate in Oedipus the King. Summoned by the king, the blind prophet Tiresias at first refuses to speak, but finally accuses Oedipus himself of killing Laius. What are some examples of figurative language in the play Oedipus Rex At the beginning of the play we see Oedipus as a hero among the people, as he solved the Sphinx riddle and made it is fateful quest to find and punish the murderer of. The Trachiniae (c. 440 B. Free Samples and Examples of Essays, Homeworks and any Papers, Filed Under: Essays Tagged With: metaphor. Oedipus can be seen has someone who is not genuinely satisfied until he or she solves all of his lifes puzzles and the last riddle of his life. And so, despite his precautions, the prophecy that Oedipus dreaded has actually come true. After finding his wife and also mother hung in her bedroom, Oedipus blinds himself with the gold pins that held Jocastas robe. Thus the idea of sight is critical in Oedipus the King. Oedipus ' eyes works fine, but he 's completely blind of the ugly fate that gods have placed upon him. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Oedipus the King - CliffsNotes Oedipus refusal to accept the truth engages spectators by building the urge to witness the realization of his wrong doings. Additional materials, such as the best quotations, synonyms and word definitions to make your writing easier are also offered here. The crossroads (which is the place Oedipus killed his father, King Laius) symbolizes Oedipus choices and paths he can take. As the play unfolds, we see Oedipus virtues and weaknesses lead him to his own demise. Sophocles was a tragedian author who lived from 496-406 B.C. Sophocles was the younger contemporary of Aeschylus and the older contemporary of Euripides. The use of light and dark is to not only to symbolize happiness or sadness, but also becomes a metaphor for blindness. Oedipus the King- Metaphors. Section 6: Oedipus the King, lines 338-706, Section 8: Oedipus the King, lines 1008-1310, Section 9: Oedipus the King, lines 1311-1684, Section 10: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 1-576, Section 11: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 577-1192, Section 12: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 1193-1645, Section 13: Oedipus at Colonus, lines 1646-2001. He then planned to never return to Corinth. These contemporary nature when in the darkness. Oedipus becomes determined to track down the shepherd and learn the truth of his birth. Tiresias is the blind prophet of Thebes. Sophocles makes Oedipus suffer because of the fact that he actually has no idea who he is, and almost avoids figuring it out. According to Jocasta, the prophecy did not come true because the baby died, abandoned, and Laius himself was killed by a band of robbers at a crossroads.